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An introduction to 'Heritage Cities'

  • Writer: James Lesh
    James Lesh
  • Oct 1, 2020
  • 1 min read

Heritage Cities


Heritage is a force that shapes cities. It refers not only to the significant physical environments we inherit from the past but also the accumulated relationships we have with our cities and the places in them. Attempting to protect places can both shape and hinder the development of cities. Heritage can inspire design creativity and offer meaning and a sense of depth and continuity. However, efforts to protect urban heritage have also caused, or been perceived as a cause of, social segregation, and gentrification as well as environmental degradation connected with tourism. Reflecting broader power, expertise and property dynamics, the people who have influenced regimes of heritage management are often privileged groups. This chapter provides a historical account of the development of the modern conservation movement and its associated heritage apparatus. It identifies various provocations that heritage offers to urban thinking and points to the breadth of influence that heritage has on urban places and processes.










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